Screw-press.



No. 778,969. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. J'. M. HERRON.

SCREW PRESS. APPLICATION FILED APR.11, 190a.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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if j) '53 J43 WITN ESSES. fizz/mw i w/ UNTTET) STATES Patented January 3, 1905,

JAMES M. HERRON, OF EAST ORANGE, NE'W JERSEY.

SCREW-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,969, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed April 11, 1903. Serial No 152,111.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. J AMES M. HnRRoN, of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Screw-Presses, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to continuously-opera ative presses particularly adapted for separating oil and other liquids from the fibrous or cellular substances of seeds, nuts, &c.

It is the object of my improvements to provide a machine capable of expressing a greater percentage of liquid than is possible with presses of ordinary construction and without detriment to the liquid product or to the dry residue.

The form of my invention illustrated comprises a conical screw fitted to rotate in a casing providedwith radial vents for the liquid throughout a definitely-limited portion of the axial length of said screw, beginning at the base of the latter, but which casing com prises imperforate walls inclosing the circumference of the screw throughout a considerable portion of its axial length, including its apex. The effect of such an arrangement is that throughout the region of the casing first traversed by the material the oil expressed therefrom is permitted to immediately escape through the perforated casing-wall, but throughout the region of the casing last traversed by the material the imperforate wall prevents the immediate escape of the remaining liquid, and therefore the material is subjected to a higher degree of pressure than is possible in a casing which is perforated throughout the entire axial length of the screw. A press thus constructed and arranged is advantageous, in that all of the liquid which the material is capable of yielding may be thereby expressed during a single passage of the material therethrough. The pressure developed by the arrangement aforesaid is such as to highly heat said imperforate walls of the casing, and therefore my improvements comprise means for cooling said walls.

My invention also comprehends the combination, with the aforesaid features, of means to positively progress the material to be treated into engagement with the conical screw and means to positively rotate the latter under the great pressure which is characteristic of my invention.

My invention comprehends the various novel features of construction and arrangement herein set forth.

In said drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of a screw-press conveniently embodying my improvements; Fig. II is a longitudinal sectional view of the screw and its casing. Fig. III is a transverse sectional view of the press, taken on the line III III in Figs. I and II. Fig. IV is a transverse sectional View of the press, taken on the line IV IV in Figs. I and II. e

In said figures, 1 is the conical screw, which is conveniently made hollow, as indicated in the several figures, and the casing in which said screw is fitted comprises the lower section 2 and the upper section 3. Said sections being respectively provided with lugs 4 and 5 are adjustably connected by yokes 6, which are pivoted on the bolts 7 in the lugs 4 and engaged with the lugs 5 by means of the setscrews 9. Said casing is conveniently supported by the standards 11 12 on the bed-plate 13, comprising the basin 14 and outlet 15 to catch and deliver the expressed liquid. The region of said casing member 2 adjoining the standard 11 and inclosing the base of the screw 1 is provided with slots 16 covered by the perforated lining-plate 17, to permit the immediate escape of the oil or other liquid from the material under treatment during its traverse over said plate. However, the escape of the liquid is prevented by the imperforate walls 18 and 19 of the respective casing-sections 2 and3, which inclose the smaller end of said screw 1. Said imperforate walls comprise respective recesses, which when registered, as shown in Fig. III, form an annular chamber 20, surrounding the smaller end of said screw 1. Said chamber 20 is provided with an inlet 21 and an outlet 22 for a cooling fluid, whereby the heat generated'may be conveniently dissipated. Said screw 1 is conveniently rotated by the shaft 25, secured by the bolts 24 at its larger end, and said shaft is supported in the bearing-boss 26 on the screwcasing and in the bearing-standard 27, extending from the bed-plate 14. In order to maintain the screw 1 in proper relation to its casing, the outer end of said shaft 25 is opposed by the adjustable abutment 30, carried by the cross-bar 31, and the latter is connected by the tie-rods 32 with the cross-bar 33 at the apex of the casing. Said rods 32 extend through and are supported by the lugs 35, extending from the opposite sides of the casingsection 2, and it is to be understood that any desired adjustment of the screw 1 with respect to its casing may be effected by means of the nuts 36 and 38, with which said tie-rods 32 are provided. Said shaft 25 is provided with the worm gear-wheel 40 within the housing 41 and is actuated by the worm 43, fixed upon the main driving-shaft 44, which latter is provided with the band-wheel 45. Said shaft 25 is also provided with the sprocket-wheel 48, which is connected by the chain 49 with the sprocket-wheel 50 on the counter-shaft 52, which is mounted in the bearings 53 54in the cap-plate 55 on the top of the hopper 56, through which latter the material to be pressed is supplied to the screw 1. Said shaft 52 carries the bevel-gear 58, which is engaged with the bevel-gear 59 on the vertical feed-shaft 60. Said shaft 60 is mounted to rotate in the bearing 61 in said plate 55 and is provided with inclined conveyer-plates 62. It is to be understood that by the arrangement described the shaft 60 is rotated in definite relation to the rotation of the shaft 25 and that the conveyers 62 serve to positively progress the material through the hopper 56 into engagement with the screw 1. In order to insure that the material engaged by the screw 1 shallbe progressed toward the apex of the latter, the valve-disk 65, whose periphery is so shaped as to fit the thread upon the screw 1, is mounted torotate idly in the housing 67, projecting from the casing member 3, as indicated in.

Figs. III and IV.

The press above described is operated as follows: The material to be treated being supplied to the hopper 56 is positively progressed through the latter to the screw 1 by rotation of the feed-shaft 60 in definite relation to the rotation of the screw-shaft 25, and the material falling upon the screw 1 is pro grossed toward the apex of the latter by its rotation and is prevented from escaping backwardly by the valve-disk 65. The initial compression of said material, which is effected during its traverse over slots 16 and the perforated plate 17, is such as to immediately discharge the bulk of the oil or other liquid expressed therefrom into the basin 14, and it is to be understood that the pressure thus attainable is limited by the fact that such escape is afforded. When, however, the material reaches the imperforate walls 18 and 19, 5

it is more highly compressed within the latter, because there are no lateral vent-outlets therefrom, and the liquid constituents of the material remaining after the initial compression aforesaid are forced out and escape rearwardly during the traverse of the material in contact with the imperforate walls of the casing to the apex of the screw, where the dry residue is discharged through the conical bushing in the opening 34 in the cross-bar 33. As above noted, the pressure upon the material within the imperforate walls 18 and 19 is such as to liberate or produce extreme heat, which would be detrimental to the machine and to the material if means were not provided to dissipate it, and such means are provided by the fluid which is caused to flow through the chamber 20 during the operation of the device.

It is to be understood that I do not desire to claim, broadly, the combination, with a conical screw, of a perforated casing for the same, for such devices are well known in the prior art. I believe it to be new, however, to provide a press of the class described with an imperforate casing inclosing that region of the pressure-screw through which the material is last progressed, with the advantageous result that a higher pressure can be attained and a greater quantity of liquid be expressed from a given material than is possible with a press of any other character.

It is to be understood that I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention.

I claim 1. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the circumference of said screw, having vent-apertures for the liquid in the lower portion of said casing throughout approximately onehalf the axial length of said screw, and imperforate walls throughout the remainder of the length of said screw; and, means to rotate said screw in said casing, substantially as set forth.

2. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressurescrew; of a casing inclosing the circumference of said screw, having radial vent-apertures for the liquid in the lower portion of said casing throughout approximately one-half the axial length of said screw, and imperforate walls throughout the remainder of the extent of said screw; means to cool said imperforate walls; and means to rotate said screw in said casing, substantially as set forth.

3. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the circumference of said screw, having a perforate wall circumferentially inclosing a definitelylimited extent of the length of said screw beginning at its larger end and a perforate wall circumferentially inclosing the remainder of the length of said screw, including its smaller end; and, means to rotate said screw in said casing, substantially as set forth.

4. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the circumference of said screw, havingseparable semicircular sections, respectively inclosing the upper and lower portions of said screw; the lower casing-section comprising a perforate wall covering a definitely-limited extent of the length of said screw, beginning at its.

larger end, and imperforate walls covering the remainder of the length of said screw including its smaller end; registered recesses respectively located in the imperforate walls of said opposed casing-sections, forming an annular chamber; means to.conduct a cooling fluid through said chamber; and means to rotate said screw in said casing, substantially as set forth.

6. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the circumference of said screw, provided with liquid vent-aperture at the larger circumference of said screw and imperforate walls at the smaller circumference of said screw; means to rotate said screw; and means to positively feed the material to said screw, substantially as set forth.

7. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the circumference of said screw, having a perforate wall covering a definitely-limited extent of the circumference of said screw, beginning at its larger end, and imperforate walls covering the remainder of the circumference of said screw including its smaller end; means to rotate said screw in said casing, comprising a worm-gear fixed upon the shaft of said screw; and, a driving-shaft comprising a worm engaged with said gearswheel, substantially as set forth.

8. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing fitting the circumference of said screw, having its under side perforated for a definitely-limited portion of its length, beginning at the larger end of said screw, and comprising imperforate walls inclosing the smaller end of said screw; means to cool the imperforate walls of said casing comprising an annular chamber surrounding said screw; means to positively feed the material to said screw; and means to prevent backward flow of the material with respect to said screw, substantially as set forth.

9. In a screw-press, the combination with a conical pressure-screw; of a casing inclosing said screw, having radial vents for the liquid in the region of the larger end of the screw and imperforate walls in the region of the smaller end of the screw; of an annular chamber in said imperforate walls surrounding the smaller end of the screw; and, means to supply a cooling fluid to said chamber, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the city, county, and State of New York, this 9th day of April, 1903.

JAMES M. HERRON. 

